Favia: A Perfect Blend
Favia Wines is a marriage that sings beautifully. This winery is the work of husband and wife team Andy Erickson and Annie Favia, and it is a pairing that works extremely well.
Just recently, I had the chance to visit and taste the current releases from Favia. I had discovered their wine back with the 2006 vintage. My first introduction was the Cerro Sur Red Wine. This is a blend of predominately Cab Franc and Cabernet. (The Cerro Sur is a blend – for a wine to be characterized as a certain varietal, it must contain at least 75% of that grape.) I am a big fan of Cab Franc, and this one was done splendidly. I was hooked.
The portfolio of Favia is very deep, and I have enjoyed their entire line-up. They produce balanced wine that is ageable. These are well-structured wines that deliver on fruit and textured flavors throughout the sipping experience. I have a soft spot for the Rhone varietals, and they have a Grenache-based wine called Rompecabezas, as well as a Syrah. Both these wines are made from grapes out of Amador County, east of Sacramento, CA.
Favia’s tasting room is located in the town of Napa, CA and set in an industrial area. While the location is not in the vineyard or on a hilltop, the tasting soars with quality wine. Kimberly, Favia’s Director of Sales & Hospitality, was a pleasure to meet. She is knowledgeable and engaging with the experience of the wines. Tastings are by appointment only and a real value. The wines are wonderful and the welcome warm and friendly.
We tasted through a great line-up that day, starting with the Viognier, which was wonderful. Favia also offers a Sauvignon Blanc that is fresh and inviting – especially in the coming summer months. The reds were rich and smooth all the way through the tasting. This is a winery that is truly worth the time to visit and join the mailing list.
Be on the look-out for anything that you may find from this winery. Here are a couple of reviews for their 2012s, yet to be released:
2012 Favia La Magdalena Red Wine Napa Valley, October 2014 | The Wine Advocate | 100 Points: The 2012 La Magdalena is the Favia/Erickson equal-part blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a dense ruby/purple color and 100-point aromatics that are compelling and addictive. The inky bluish/purple color is followed by intense floral aromas mixed with pure blueberry, raspberry and blackcurrants. Surely there’s plenty of new oak used in the upbringing of this wine, but you’d never know it the way this wine tastes. It is full-bodied and opulent, like Chanel’s newest haute-couture creation. This is a flawless, perfect effort that proves their mastery of this craft of winemaking. The finish goes on for a good 40-45 seconds.
2012 Favia Cerro Sur Red Wine Napa Valley, October 2014 | The Wine Advocate | 97 Points: The 2012 Cerro Sur, a proprietary blend of 62% Cabernet Franc and 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, is a real killer, demonstrating how well these two grapes blend together when crafted by two brilliant viticulturists and winemakers, Annie Favia and her husband Andy Erickson. Dense purple to the rim, with a glorious nose of spring flowers, blueberry, raspberry, a hint of camphor and subtle charcoal in the background, the wine is medium to full-bodied, silky textured, with gorgeously integrated tannin and acidity, and a layered mouthfeel that builds incrementally. This is pure genius and a great cuvée, not only showcasing the talents of its makers, but the brilliance of 2012. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
Enjoy!
